On Billy Martin’s short, steamy stint in the Bay Area

(Fourth in a series of reviews of sports books)

“Billy Ball: Billy Martin and the Resurrection of the Oakland A’s”

By Dale Tafoya

Lyons Press

Old-time baseball fans will recall Martin — a middling infielder during his playing days — as a feisty, controversial manager who was hired and fired five times by owner George Steinbrenner with the New York Yankees.

They’ll also remember Martin as a shrewd baseball man who improved every team he came to, at least at first. Martin, who managed the Yankees to the 1977 World Series championship, was beloved by the team’s fans, who reveled in his battles with Steinbrenner, umpires and some of his players, notably Reggie Jackson.

There have been several books written on the life of Martin, including his autobiography, “Number 1,” which I remember reading four decades ago. That one was released during his first season as manager of the Oakland Athletics in 1980.

“Billy Ball” focuses on Martin’s three years as manager of the A’s, a franchise that had fallen into deep disrepair after winning three straight World Series titles from 1972-74.

The A’s were drawing crowds in three figures and the low four figures when Martin came onto the scene in 1980, hired by legendary cheapskate owner Charlie Finley, who would soon sell the team.

Oakland had a major league-worst 54-108 record in 1979, but Martin turned it around quickly, guiding the A’s to an 83-79 record in 1980 and then the AL Championship Series in 1981.

“Billy Ball” featured five starters who threw more pitches than a carnival barker and a primo outfield crew featuring the great Rickey Henderson. They captured the imagination of the Bay Area over Martin’s three years, setting attendance records while helping to make A’s baseball a happening.

Martin — who died in an automobile accident on Christmas Day 1989 at the age of 61 — was wildly popular with the A’s fans. But as his pitchers’ arms began to fall off in 1982, the team’s fortunes went south in a hurry, and he was gone after the ’82 campaign for another stint as the Yankee skipper.

The author relies heavily on quotes from back in the day and the observations of the sportswriters covering the team during that period along with Martin’s son, Billy Martin Jr.

I’d liked to have seen quotes and insight from more of the team’s biggest names, such as Henderson, Dwayne Murphy, Tony Armas, Wayne Gross and Jeff Burroughs. There were none to be found.

But I still found the book enjoyable, if a rather quick read, about a true character and a compelling figure in baseball history.

Readers: how do you remember Billy Martin? Share your comments below.

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